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Taking action in Utah to improve cycling in the Beehive State

Bicycle Friendly State

Local and State Advocacy

by League Staff

An essential part of our mission is working closely with state and local bike advocacy groups. The League of American Bicyclists is happy to be working with Bike Utah to support two of its legislative priorities this year. Please help improve bicycling in Utah by taking action on one or both of the campaigns below.

Utah has been ranked in the top 10 of the last three Bicycle Friendly State rankings. While many improvements have been made over the last decade for bicycling in Utah, there are always additional improvements to be made. The bills supported by Bike Utah both make substantial steps to make bicycling safer and more convenient for people in Utah.

House Bill 58 — “Traffic Control Signs for Bicycles” — would make bicycling safer and more convenient by allowing people who bike in Utah to treat stop signs as yield signs and red traffic signals as stop signs.

This is consistent with the law in Idaho that has been in place since 1982. That law was pushed by law enforcement so that they could focus on more important traffic safety priorities and has resulted in no discernible increase in injuries or fatalities to bicyclists since being enacted, with some studies suggesting that it has contributed to a decrease in motor vehicle-bicycle crashes. See Bike Utah’s fact sheet to learn more about the positive benefits of this bill.

The Executive Appropriations process in Utah means that the Executive Appropriations Committee determines if appropriations requests are funded. This Committee of 20 Senators and Representatives will decide whether there will be state funding for Bike Utah’s Youth Bicycle Education and Safety Training Program and 1,000 Miles Campaign.

Bike Utah’s Youth Education program has reached over 4,000 students in the last year, reaching over 50 schools and organizations. The appropriations bill would allow this work to continue and expand.

The 1,000 Miles Campaign is part of Governor Herber’s goal, as part of Utah Life Elevated 2020, to develop 1,000 miles of family-friendly bicycle trails and paths. The Governor identified this goal as it improves numerous aspects associated with living, working, and playing in Utah.